Mariners roar to life in 4-0 ALM blitz over Reds
Joanna Guelas |
Central Coast’s six-game losing A-League Men streak is over after the Mariners blitzed Adelaide with a 4-0 victory in enemy territory.
It was all Mariners at Coopers Stadium, with the visitors needing just eight minutes to open the scoring through Alfie McCalmont’s penalty goal on Sunday night.
Central Coast then broke away in the 20th minute when Sabit Ngor and Bailey Brandtman each scored within 28 seconds, before Miguel Di Pizio twisted the knife in the 55th minute for the final say.
It’s a perfect start to the year for the Mariners under interim coach Warren Moon, who drew the ire of former club Brisbane for his stinging post-match comments following a 2-1 New Year’s eve loss to the Roar.
Moon, a former player and coach at the Roar, had labelled the halftime conduct of Brisbane’s coaching staff an embarrassment.
Central Coast will hope Sunday’s win will reignite their finals campaign after they moved to second-last in 11th (3-2-6) with their first win since November 7.
They are just four points off the sixth-placed Newcastle Jets.
The Reds had been out to extend their two-game winning streak, but instead dropped out of the top six to seventh (5-0-6) after a lacklustre performance.
Airton Andrioli was forced to field an undermanned Adelaide side, with a trio of young stars – Yaya Dukuly, Luka Jovanovic and Ethan Alagich – called up to the Olyroos squad for the under-23 Asian Cup.
Young defender Panagiotis Kikianis wasn’t called up to the Olyroos, but was forced to sit on the sidelines after suffering a concussion during training.
Adelaide were rattled early when centre-back Vinko Stanisic gave away a penalty for a handball in the third minute.
Set up in front of goal for a Mariners corner kick, Stanisic had been jostling with opponent James Donachie when his outstretched arm caught the ball.
Play had initially gone uninterrupted before VAR intervened in the seventh minute.
Northern Ireland international McCalmont converted the penalty to little applause at Coopers Stadium, before Ngor flaunted his pace against Stanisic to add his name to the scoresheet.
The Reds then gave away possession from the reset, with Brandtman intercepting a pass from Juan Muniz to pile the misery on the hosts.
Brandtman popped up again in the second half with a sensational through-ball to set up Di Pizio, who found the back of the net unchallenged.
occeroos star Craig Goodwin’s blocked attempt in the 19th minute was the only shot on target in the first half for the Reds, who looked sluggish despite dominating possession.
Mariners goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne held his nerve to keep a clean sheet as Jonny Yull peppered the goal in the second half.
AAP
